Per project · term set in advance · maintenance period
Short-term construction all risks (CAR) insurance
A short-term CAR policy hangs on a period of time: the cover starts on the commencement date and ends on the end date, however far the works has progressed by then.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Short-term CAR insurance applies to one works, with a start and end date you give in advance. The policy therefore follows the programme and not the progress on site. That makes three moments decisive: the first delivery of material, handover or entry into use, and the end of the maintenance period.
This form is the usual solution for a one-off project and for a works that exceeds the limit per works on your a continuous policy. Clients having work done also take it out, with the contractor as a co-insured.
The main limitation lies not in the cover but in the diary: a policy that expires while the scaffolding is still up cannot be repaired afterwards.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Section 1
The works
Damage to the works themselves during construction or installation.
Fire, storm and water
Theft of materials
Inherent defect and design fault
Vandalism on the building site
Section 2
Liability
Damage to property and persons of third parties on and around the works.
Adjoining premises
Injury to bystanders
Cables and pipes
Optional
Extensions
What comes into play alongside the works themselves.
Client's existing property
Ancillary plant and site huts
Maintenance period
What is covered
Situation
Works section
Liability section
Storm or water damage to the works in progress
Yes
No
Theft of materials from the building site
Sometimes
No
Damage to an adjoining building
No
Yes
Injury to a bystander
No
Yes
The client's existing property
Sometimes
Sometimes
Repair of your own defective work
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Let the cover start at the first delivery, not on the first working day
Site fencing, a hut, scaffolding material and the first load of building material are often there for days before anyone starts work. Fire or theft in that period falls outside a policy that only starts on the start date. So set the commencement date at the day of the first delivery. Also note that the cover applies at the site described: material still in your own shed or in an external depot is not included.
An extension is only possible before the end date
Overrunning is the rule rather than the exception in construction. Put the end date of the policy in the same programme as the completion date and allow margin for frost delays and lead times. Once the date passes, there is no cover and a retrospective extension is out of the question. Apply for the extension in writing before the period ends. The insurer may take that opportunity to reassess the conditions and the premium.
Entry into use ends the cover earlier than the end date
If the client already takes part of the works into use, for example the first floor or a wing that has been handed over, that part usually drops out of the cover on the works and moves to the maintenance period and the owner's buildings insurance. With phased handover, record per phase what has been handed over and when. Without that record you will be arguing, when there is a loss, about whose policy is on the hook.
The maintenance period is a period of its own with narrower cover
After handover the maintenance period runs. It covers damage you cause while carrying out remedial and maintenance work and, in the extended form, damage that has its cause in the construction period but only comes to light afterwards. Not covered are damage from normal use, wear and redoing your own defective work. Report a defect as soon as you know of it; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code sets that requirement.
Existing property is the most commonly missed section
If you work in or on an existing building, that building is not your works but the property of the client. Damage to it does not fall under section 1 and, on your AVB, falls under the care, custody and control exclusion. The section existing property fills that gap, and with conversions, renovations and installation work that is not an edge case but the core of the risk.
The maintenance period continues after handover
After handover there is often a maintenance period during which you remain liable for defects that arose during construction. Agree that period explicitly and have it stated on the policy. Under the Wet kwaliteitsborging (the Dutch Building Quality Assurance Act) this carries more weight: Article 7:758(4) of the Dutch Civil Code places the burden of proof for hidden defects on the contractor.
What does your premium depend on?
Contract sum for this one project. Including materials, labour and additional work instructed. That sum is immediately the sum insured.
Construction period in months. The longer the works lies open, the longer it is exposed to storm, water and theft.
Length of the maintenance period. The period chosen and whether it is the limited or the extended variant.
Nature and height of the structure. A shell with open floors or a tall steel structure is more vulnerable than low-rise.
Adjoining properties and location. Building in an inner-city setting with adjoining buildings and cables increases the liability risk.
Sections chosen and excess. Existing property, ancillary plant and the level of the excess per event.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
On the commencement date stated on the policy schedule, and not at the moment the first spade goes into the ground. If material is delivered or the site hut placed before that, it is not covered. So on the application, give the date of the first delivery to the site, not the start date of the works.
What if the works overruns?
Then the term has to be extended before the end date passes. An expired policy cannot be put right afterwards and damage in the period following is at your own expense. Keep the end date in the same programme as the handover and apply for the extension in writing, so that the insurer can confirm the new period.
Is material in my own shed covered?
No. The cover applies at the site stated on the policy. Material still with you, at an intermediate depot or in transit falls outside it. Business contents or transport cover is needed for that. For large or vulnerable components, ask whether storage away from the works can be insured.
What does the maintenance period still cover?
Damage you cause during maintenance or repairs after handover and, in the extended variant, damage whose cause lies in the construction period. Outside the cover are defects from normal use, wear and redoing work you supplied defectively yourself; the consequential damage from that is usually insured.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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